A Woman's Worth
by Music Lover Always
Summary: The moment we are born, we are inherently free; or so I thought. I'm sorry my story is so painful. All I leave in my wake is what I have been called: wife, girlfriend, daughter, scientist, bitch, criminal, refugee, prisoner. Main pairing is NaruHina. SasuHina. Full summary inside


**Summary** _ **:**_ Naruto and Hinata were born in Konoha, a nation struggling with an extreme gender gap. Hinata is unfortunately female and Naruto is an Undesirable. Enter Sasuke, a famous soccer player from Konoha is on the verge of become a leftover man due to his marital status. Chaos ensues as all three lives collide and Hinata must navigate through a patriarchal government who only sees females as leverage for marriage.

Warnings: Extreme angst. This is the main pairing: NaruHina. SasuHina is present but you'll find out more as you read along.

 **I won't stand for bitching about tagging certain characters. This is fanfiction people. I also expect trolls. I don't care lol. Basically, I won't stand for bitching and moaning about stupid shit (example: tagging characters).**

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto.

Inspired by El Clon, India: A Love Story, China's leftover men issue, The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu), and observing women inequality throughout the world.

* * *

 _Hinata's POV_

 _ **The moment we are born, we are inherently free; or so I thought.**_

 _ **I'm sorry my story is so painful.**_

 _ **All I leave in my wake is what I have been called:**_

 _ **Wife**_

 _ **Girlfriend**_

 _ **Daughter**_

 _ **Scientist**_

 _ **Bitch**_

 _ **Criminal**_

 _ **Refugee**_

 _ **Prisoner**_

* * *

Society was kind of in an odd place.

Hinata walked towards the university, her heels clacking on the sidewalk as she hurried along. Tendrils of hair flowed by her ear wildly during her haste. The papers cradled in her arms were crinkling but she paid no heed. She had a presentation that morning **regarding the low X-chromosome count in the male sperm**.

It was interesting really. Her initial goal was to become a physician but once she joined an undergraduate research lab, her interests began to go towards academic research and resulting in where she is at now in her life. She was also a ballet dancer and loved it so much. However, once she was accepted into a research scholars program, she had to stop dancing ballet professionally to focus on her blossoming career. She doesn't regret one bit at all. She's picked up honors and recognitions along the way but she still dances whenever she has free time. She became a associate professor instead to solve the mystery of the gender gap between men and women.

Women were extremely valuable in their country. No other sovereign nations were facing the shortage of women like they were. In fact, they were the only ones. The laws of the nation changed drastically in the last decades due to the low X-chromosome count. Females were being bought in "arranged marriages" for sons. Elite families would spend the most for their sons. **A woman can be bought but at an extremely high cost**. For example, if she was educated beyond the bachelor's level, so a master or doctoral educated woman, it would come at the highest cost. It's rare for that to occur but not entirely unheard of. Men desire educated women so they can contribute as well. Some of the time, women can get out of it since laws have changed in favor of them and their freedom.

However, if you are matched prior during infancy, it is impossible to break out of it, unless the woman was already married before this was discovered.

A match works where a family will decide to enter their sons into a registry. This comes at a high cost so mostly wealthy people had to pay a pretty penny to ensure their son is matched, even if the odds were up in the air. It wouldn't matter if that female was born into poverty or not since the government would arrange it at a cost. The male's family can see which female their son was matched but the opposite couldn't be said for the female. The female's family would have no say in the matter either. However, most females are aware of this since their family would normally tell them when they were old enough. If the male decided not to go through with it, then the female can live as she sees fit.

Still, the government needs more women. Society was becoming more violent with single males who were unwed. Bachelordom meant no families to settle them down and cool their heads from their raging testosterone. Attempted kidnappings of women were very common with a 100% fail rate. A lot more police were on the streets, vigilant for women and their protection.

Funny enough, the Konoha government have incentives if a couple gives birth to females. They receive stipends, assistance, more benefits, etc., for that.

Hinata was mostly concerned about why Konoha had this problem in the first place. It started around 50 years ago and has steadily gotten worse over the years.

Regardless, her role as an assistant professor will delve into low X-chromosome sperm count of men. She recently acquired a large grant from the Konoha Society of Reproductive Medicine from her recent findings. She has found that a decreased sperm count and low X sperm count has been linked to an increased risk of premature death and other health problems. The exposure of chemicals in the mother's womb is a large factor to consider. Hinata advocates this theory zealously. Stress and BMI could not be the only reason.

It also troubles Hinata that the low sperm count is also going down in other wealthy nations. By far, Konoha is incredibly wealthy and they are facing this issue much more head on than the other nations. She is almost sure it's chemical but which ones?

She wasn't paying attention as she used the side of her arms to push the door of her building open. She continued up the stairs and automatically made her way to her office. Her thoughts were interrupted as she bumped into a hard body. It was her fiance Naruto. He was smiling wide at her.

"Hey! How's it going?" he asked, grabbing her by the arms to steady her gait.

Hinata laughed. "Oh my goodness you scared me. Why are you in my office?" she asked skeptically as she hurried to grab any USBs and papers for her presentation.

Naruto showed her the cup of coffee he made her. "Made some coffee for you before your big presentation. Knock 'em out of this world!" he winked at her and placed the mug in her hands. He was wearing jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Very uncharacteristic of an assistant professor. However, he was in the Music department.

Hinata's eyes lit up, "Thank you!" She jogged over to him after grabbing her laptop and went up on her tippy toes to place a chaste kiss on his lips. "I'll see you at home!" she called out before running towards the conference room. She ran down the hall, with her mug in one hand, her laptop underneath her armpit, and her papers in the other hand.

The blonde man waved her goodbye. His face showed a soft smile. He was incredibly lucky to be with a woman like her. As an Undesirable, he was discriminated against for the longest time. His parents suffered the most. His dad was born an Undesirable but after marrying his mom, Kushina, their status was normal, until he was born a male. Now his father was once again labeled an Undesirable and so he was he. His mother, being female, had some privilege. That helped them get by.

Because of the discrimination, they moved to the United States to start a new life without labels. It proved fruitful as he received a great education and was able to finish his doctorate there. He came back to Konoha to lecture at the prestigious University of Konoha and train their students. He almost declined the offer but they sought him out because of his international reputation as a teacher and performer. Most importantly, they wanted a more integrated faculty with students coming from all different backgrounds. It didn't matter to them if he was an Undesirable. They recognized him for who he was and what he has accomplished. It gave Naruto hope that Konoha is changing and he wants to be a presence in that change. They even gave him a great starting salary as an assistant professor. It was an offer he couldn't refuse.

Still, meeting Hinata by chance was luck, or a miracle, as he liked to call it. He noticed her from afar in the university's coffee shop. He would be leaning against the wall, sipping his coffee before heading to his next lecture and then at exactly 8:40, a dark-haired woman would scurry in and rush to the nearest cashier to order a caramel macchiato. When he first laid eyes on her, the only thing running through his mind was, "she is drop-dead gorgeous," and Naruto wanted slap himself for even ogling at a student.

The surprise came when he saw her picture on a bunch of flyers with her name and title:

 **Hinata Hyuuga, Ph.D.**

 **Assistant Professor of Biological Chemistry in the School of Medicine at the University of Konoha**

 _Dr. Hyuuga will be hosting a seminar with visiting professors from Stanford University on Reproductive Medicine on June 11, 2018. Please RSVP and refreshments will be served_

Naruto whistled as he traced the outline of her face. "Hinata eh?" he muttered under his breath. He was relieved to find out that she wasn't a student and that she was a professor, just like he. He wanted to jump and shout in joy. He decided that he had enough time to drop by her seminar.

Once he had arrived, she commenced 10 minutes later. Almost all of what she had said went over his head since he was absolutely terrible at the sciences but he admired her nonetheless. Seeing that people were raising their hands and asking questions, he decided to give it a shot. He raised his hand and she immediately acknowledged him.

Hinata nodded towards him, "Yes sir? Did you have a question?"

That made Naruto fluster a bit as he was called sir. "Um yeah, so how reliable is the data you've compiled and analysed? Should we be really worried about this?" He inwardly cringed at his very broad question.

He heard a lot of murmuring across the room. It made him want to sink into his chair a bit more.

Hinata spoke, "I think," she started, waiting for the noise to die down, "that it is incredibly important. At least, in K-Konoha's state, the low X sperm count is steadily declining and we have yet to determine what is the leading cause. As for the other nations, it is still important that the lowered fertility rate is a warning sign. They look at us and see what could be their future. Thank you for your question." She gave him a shy smile before answering more questions from other academic institutions.

Once the seminar was over, Naruto saw that she was alone, gathering her papers and unplugging her laptop from the main monitor. He walked towards her and waited for her to notice him.

Hinata saw a shadow cast over her and stood up, seeing the blonde man from earlier.

"Hey, thanks for answering my question. I teach over at the music department." He gave her a bright smile.

Hinata's face started to pink a bit. "O-Oh! Well I'm so glad that other departments are interested in attending. Thank you for coming!" She stuck out her hand. "I'm Hinata Hyuuga."

"Naruto Uzumaki," he gave her a firm handshake and proceeded to dive right in. "I've actually seen you come into the coffee shop on campus every morning while I'm there. I thought you were a student." He rubbed the back of his head.

Hinata let out a laugh. "I-I'm flattered. I'm not sure what to say."

Naruto let out a nervous chuckle, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be so forward! Um…" he was already becoming a nervous wreck about what to say next. "I guess I'll see you around?" He inwardly kicked himself.

Hinata's eyes lowered and a flash of disappointment shown through them. "Yes of course! It was nice meeting you." She waved him goodbye as he walked up the stairs and out of the classroom.

Naruto decided that the following day, he was going to ask her out. He couldn't miss this opportunity and fuck it up like he did today.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The next day, Naruto spoke to her in the coffee shop.

He found out that they recently hired her when she finished her postdoctoral work and that she was on track to be tenured. He mentioned that he was a Teaching Artist for a fellowship program.

He also found out about her old professional ballet career before she gave it up to become a researcher. He rekindled that same passion in her by offering to play piano in the background for her whenever she wanted to dance.

The rest - as they say - is history.

* * *

 _ **Back to present time: 1 week later**_

Sasuke Uchiha, a 30-year old footballer recruited in one of the top clubs in the world: Konoha FC. His buyout clause is equivalent to 350 million Euros. Quite a pretty penny but also not entirely difficult to get out of.

He was young and at the top peak of his game but his family and their legacy are pushing him to marry. His father, Fugaku is a successful attorney and businessman while his mother was director of a prominent hospital in Konoha. His grandfather, Madara also owned the football club he is currently playing for, awhile back. He was very much wealthy.

His interest in soccer came when his brother played it with his friends. He immediately wanted to try and catapulted all the way to the top.

However, since reaching 30, his parents have doubled down on him to get married, with the hopes of producing an heir - preferably a female.

Sasuke was irritated by the idea anyway. For months, his parents have been nagging and even asked about the taboo subject of his ex-girlfriend, Sakura Haruno. More like Captain Haruno or Dr. Haruno.

 _Flashback:_

" _What happened to Sakura? Why aren't you engaged to her?" His father, Fugaku asked._

 _Sasuke sighed. "She doesn't want to settle right now. She's in her residency currently." He shrugged it off, not willing to go into further detail. He was still angry at her, for reasons he's not willing to admit to anyone at all. However, he froze at his parents' next question._

" _Do you still love her?"_

 _Sasuke sat there quietly, his jaw clenching amd scrunching his eyes shut. Fuck that bitch. "No and it doesn't matter."_

 _His father scoffed, "The federal government can assist us by arranging a marriage. Did you forget?"_

 _Sasuke's eyes snapped wide open. "It's not possible. She is captain in the Konoha military. Even if we approached a lawyer about settling a marriage between us, they will immediately deny it because of her military background. Not to mention, that female soldiers have full reign over their lives and the government can't touch them."_

 _His father cursed underneath his breath. "It's shameful that you are so close to being considered a leftover man. You're one of the most recognizable faces in the world for crying out loud!"_

 _Ah yes. The toxic vitality of sexism in Konoha against men. The ratio between men and women in the nation is 436:100. Basically 436 men to every 100 women. The gender gap is very real and is considered a crisis. Men are essentially considered worthless if they do not have a wife or children, specifically, daughters. The tragedy of Konoha - at least in men's eyes - is that the older they get, the more worthless they are. However, no one gives these men sympathy. The accumulation of unmarried men of legal marrying age, greatly increases the risk of social instability and insecurity. A man needs a woman to tame his restlessness._

 _To be labeled a leftover man is considered a great shame._

 _Sasuke was too picky with relationships. He didn't want to date just anybody. He's met so many women who just wanted to be with him due to his status, fame, and money. No, he didn't want someone like that by his side. The only one he has met who didn't care about all of that, was Sakura._

 _But she's dead to him now._

 _Sasuke walked away from his parents, their yelling for him to get back there that instant falling on deaf ears._

 _His parents are right._

 _He didn't want to be considered a leftover. It could ruin his football career._

 _Flashback End_

Not wanting to disappoint himself most of all, and noticing how much older he was getting and soon, his football contract will end once he's reached 36 years of age, he's running out of time to find a wife. Women throw themselves at him but will they once he's out of the league? Who knows?

He doesn't consider himself to be unattractive. He hasn't really made plans about what to do after he was done with his football career.

In the end, not wanting to disappoint his parents and be considered a leftover, he negotiated that he would try…

Try finding someone who wasn't interested in his money, looks, or family reputation.

Which was incredibly difficult. Extremely difficult. Near impossible.

He shook those thoughts out of his head. He had to focus on today and what his schedule looked like.

Today he had an appearance at the University of Konoha's School of Medicine to donate an equivalent to 100,000 dollars to their department to fund their research center for reproductive medicine on behalf of their football club. He pulled out his phone and checked the names of the researchers he will be meeting.

Dr. Tsunade Senju and Dr. Hinata Hyuuga.

He committed their names to memory and began his dreaded appearance there.

Charities or grants don't bug him but the flashing lights of paparazzi's do.

* * *

There is one thing you need to know about assistant professors or tenured professors: they are almost never on time. She was almost always focused on the funding aspect of her lab and research. Now one of her other challenges is validating her research techniques to solve the mystery of the low X-chromosome count. It's difficult when people invalidate your research methods. Once she has a lead, she hopes in the next years to come, to make a product for men to ingest for more production of the X-chromosome in the sperm. However, bringing that to fruition would be so incredibly difficult because it would take a lot of financial resources to be able to get that to clinical trial. Hinata didn't want to think about that for now. It would take so many years.

Her schedule is so crazy due to be being an assistant professor. Her day normally starts off at 10am, and then she leaves around midnight. Throughout the day, she is in meetings (3 on average), grant writing (a bulk of her day), meeting and managing her staff, and administrative items such as protocols, preparations of her lectures for class, etc. By the time it gets dark, she's in the lab with most of her graduate students doing experiments. She has lost so much weight from the stress.

She even drops by on the weekends but only for a bit since she just wants to relax with her fiance, Naruto. He's even worried about her losing weight. Cheekily, he commented that her butt and boobs were still great. She rolled her eyes at the memory.

Hinata was running late, yet again, but to a very important meeting with a famous footballer from Konoha FC who was giving them a grant. It could be more but she'll take anything at this point.

Thinking back to Konoha FC, Naruto enjoyed soccer so much that Hinata wanted to surprise him with an autograph signed by their forward, Sasuke. However, he had a recital to attend by an undergraduate who chose him as an advisor.

She checked her make-up, her high ponytail and made sure her bangs were absolutely straight and flattened any creases on her crisp white blouse and dusted off her black pencil skirt. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned at how thin she was along her waist. The skirt clung so tightly to her buttocks that it made them look almost fake. She should have worn pants.

She did a power pose to shake off her nerves and walked towards the auditorium and entered a pandamonium. Flashing lights everywhere. Security stopped her but she showed her ID card displaying the university insignia and her name.

She bypassed him and entered the back, looking for the Dean of the school of medicine, Tsunade.

"Hinata?" a voice called out to her.

"Tsunade! There you are!" relief washed over her. Hinata gave her a brief hug. "There are so many people today." She peeked from behind the curtain and saw so many people taking pictures and speaking loudly.

Tsunade nodded, "Yeah all because of Sasuke and Konoha FC generously giving us some funding for your department specifically."

Hinata nodded, more nervous all of a sudden. "I have to make a good impression." She twiddled her thumbs a bit, unsure of what would be happening. She hoped he wouldn't leave because she brought a poster of the whole Konoha FC team and really wanted him to sign it so she could surprise Naruto. She whispered in Tsunade's ear, "I'm going to ask him for an autograph."

Tsunade let out a sharp laugh. "Really? Didn't take you for a fangirl. I thought you were dating Naruto."

Hinata let out a chuckle, "It's for him since he's a huge fan of the club."

"Ah…" she sounded out before dragging Hinata towards the curtains. "We're about to make our entrance. Remember, breathe, he's only human and we've secured the donation." Tsunade made Hinata take in deep breathes and release them slowly a couple of times before going on stage.

They heard their names being called out as well as Sasuke's at the same time.

Both parties entered at the same time. Hinata was blinded by the flashing lights and saw an outline of Sasuke Uchiha. Hinata could make out his tall frame but that was about it. She walked over to where he was and shook his hand, not really being able to see his face due to the lights blinding her. She followed Tsunade afterwards for the formalities.

Tsunade made a speech thanking Konoha FC and Sasuke for the generous grant. Hinata said a few words of gratitude and gave Sasuke a smile, albeit she still could not really see him from the flashing cameras distorting her vision.

* * *

Sasuke entered the front near the podium and noticed two women appear. One was an older blonde woman who shook his hand and the other one captured his eyes immediately.

She looked absolutely stunning in her business attire and her very light eyes popped out noticeably from her long eyelashes. She walked with grace and stopped right in front of him, a shy smile gracing her plump, glistening pink-colored lips.

"Dr. Hinata Hyuuga, Mr. Uchiha. It is an honor to meet you." Her voice was clear and soft. He was stunned by the fact that she was a researcher or professor, or whatever. One or the other; the fact remains that he is slightly impressed. She looked like she could be in her early 20s.

He gave her a hint of a smile. "Pleasure." He also gripped her hand firmly for a quick shake.

Hinata spoke again, "We are incredibly grateful for the grant Mr. Uchiha."

Sasuke let out a small "Hn." and continued to eye her up and down. He didn't really like a woman in a ponytail but she looked gorgeous in her neat one.

She turned away and began to walk away from him. He couldn't help but admire her backside. That skirt flattered her immensely. He noticed that she didn't wear any ring on her left hand so she might be single. That would be perfect.

Once he spoke as to why he was donating this amount of money, he presented the large check to the two women and the press took a myriad of photos before the university closed the event. Sasuke was ready to leave in a hurry but he wanted to talk with the young professor for a bit. He wasn't sure what type he had but he likes beautiful women. High intelligence is a major plus for him.

He heard heels clacking and saw Hinata walking towards him with a poster of his team and a marker. He was slightly amused by this. _She might also be a soccer fan._

* * *

Hinata tried to walk with confidence but internally, she felt like a meek mouse in front of a giant soccer player. One of the most famous in the world. Well, she gripped the poster in hand a bit more tightly as well as the permanent marker and decided to go for it. She can imagine the ecstatic look on Naruto's face.

"Mr. Uchiha, I'm so sorry to ask but could you sign this please?" She set the items gently on the podium, a shy look on her face. She wasn't sure what he was thinking since he had a neutral look on his face but she bit her bottom lip in anxiousness. She hoped he wasn't a jerk celebrity who brushes their fans off.

She wanted to sigh in relief when she saw him take the marker and poster from her. His eyes roamed the poster, a poker face still in tact. God, she felt like an idiot even though she had no reason to.

He uncapped the marker and began to sign his name. "Call me Sasuke, Dr. Hyuuga."

Hinata began to flush a bit. First name basis with this soccer player? Although she was a professor, she didn't want to seem like she was superior to him, just based on her education. She responded back softly, "Then please call me Hinata."

She heard him give a tiny "hn" of acknowledgement while he continued to write a tiny message.

Standing in awkward silence, Hinata was stunned when he asked his next question, "So are you a big fan of Konoha FC?"

Sasuke smirked at her flustered expression before she began to giggle. She was cute. Especially when she covered her mouth to hide the giggling.

She became flustered. She didn't want to appear rude since she hardly watched sports. "I watch the world cup occasionally and I cheer for our country."

Sasuke took the marker and poster from her set them down. He observed it and noticed it had all the signatures of the team except for his. "Call me Sasuke, Dr. Hyuuga."

Sasuke was still signing his name with a tiny message, "But you haven't answered my question: Are you a big fan of Konoha FC?"

Hinata giggled, "I watch occasionally but it's actually for my-"

Her phone went off. It was 10 minutes before her lecture would start. "Oh my...I'm running a bit late." She watched him finish and shook his hand once more. "Thank you so much Sasuke! Please, follow me and I will show you the way out. I'm running a bit late for the next class I have to lecture. Good luck with everything!"

She walked in front of him, not noticing him ogling at her at all and opened the door where his security was waiting. "Thanks for the donation and the autograph!" She waved him goodbye as she hurried towards another building.

Sasuke could only watch as he was being led away and was visibly disappointed that she had to hurry for her next class.

 _Hinata Hyuuga huh?_ He thought.

He would like to get to know her a bit.

* * *

Sasuke was sitting in his car, driving towards his home thinking about the dark-haired beauty. He wondered if she was seeing anyone or if she planned to settle down anytime soon. She seemed as ambitious as Sakura but he hoped that that wouldn't be the case. She also wasn't flirting with him at all. She was respectable with her distance, polite, and friendly. For a woman to be this way, it pleasantly surprised him.

It still hurt him to think of her and to be placed second in everything she did.

He shook his head. He reminded himself that Sakura was dead to him. He needed to stop caring.

Once he entered his lavish house, he undid his tie and hung his blazer on the coat rack near the door. He'll put it away later but for right now, he wanted to change into something more relaxing. He threw on a wife beater and stripped down to his boxers and pulled out his laptop.

He searched her name and found her profile under the school of medicine at Konoha.

Her wide smile was displayed and it showed her office contact information as well as her email.

Sasuke copied and pasted her email into a new message box he populated in his email server. He wasn't sure why he was doing. He didn't even know what to say to her.

He hasn't really been this flustered for a woman in a long time. Should he ask about getting coffee sometime?

That seemed too awkward. He had to be smart about it. He debated whether to text his brother for advice but before he could make a decision, he received a phone call from the devil himself.

"Itachi?"

"Hello Sasuke. How goes everything? I saw that you were representing Konoha FC and their donation to the University of Konoha."

"Hn," he sounded out as confirmation while moving to recline on his couch. As much as he hated asking for any romantic advice, he really needed it now. "Now that you called, I actually wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh?" Now Itachi sounded intrigued.

"Yeah I met a college professor and she left a lasting impression on me."

"Go on," he pushed.

"We barely spoke but I signed an autograph for her. We only said goodbye and that was it."

"There was no instance where the both of you could meet each other again?"

"...No." he hesitated in answering that.

"Hmm…" he heard his brother pause for a bit. "I'm guessing you want to know more about her?"

"Yeah."

"Then ask her out for coffee."

Sasuke scoffed, "She might just outright reject me."

Itachi feigned surprise. "A famous footballer? No." He chuckled in response. "Well why do you say that?"

Sasuke shrugged, "She's seemed quite busy if she didn't bother to want to get to know me while I was still there. You would know, you're vice president of a large pharma company."

Itachi was silent on the other line. "What's her name?"

"Dr. Hinata Hyuuga."

"Oh really? You've taken a liking to her?"

Sasuke seemed perplexed. "You've heard of her?"

Itachi hummed before responding. "We sent her an offer letter almost a year ago actually. She applied here during her postdoctoral days. She was about to finish and we granted her an interview. She's quite impressive. However, she rejected our offer in favor of becoming a professor at the university. I can see why you've taken a liking to her. She's not bad on the eyes and she's intelligent."

Sasuke was about to say something but Itachi cut him off. "Yes she must be quite busy and getting a cup of coffee or dinner will be a hassle since you're internationally recognized. That won't do…" his voice trailed off.

"A lost cause" Sasuke murmured, sighing in disappointment.

"You could set up a meeting with her asking about setting up a scholarship foundation under your name or in Konoha FC's name. Your weekly salary is more than the cost of someone's tuition during their 4-5 years at the university. You definitely could fund it."

Now this piqued Sasuke's interest. "That's...actually a good idea."

"Set up a meeting with her to discuss it. It's going to take more than one meeting with her and it could give you more good publicity and make you more interesting to her."

Sasuke considered this. His reputation to the world is not the best. He is perceived as cocky on and off the field. He won't deny this. He knows he's the best. He is known as the "brilliant jerk." He was honored as the world's best player 3 years ago, winning the much deserved Ballon d'Or. He's won that award three times.

Sasuke was roundly mocked for explaining fan antipathy thusly: "It's because I am handsome, rich and a great player, because I am envied. I have no other explanation." While that sounds like a terribly conceited thing to say, the man speaks the truth. They do hate him because he's hot. And rich. And insanely talented. And because he dates gorgeous supermodels once in awhile. However, he tends to break it off after a month.

Sasuke was never given the chance to grow up really. Before he was even a teenager, he was shipped off to one of the **biggest soccer clubs** in Konoha. Sasuke was a spoiled child—in grade school—who grew into an even more spoiled teen phenom, and then a ridiculously spoiled international superstar. The stunted childhood could explain the flamboyant displays of self-regard and his sometimes emo attitude about life.

However, he donates to charities regularly and in large sums of money too. He really does care about people and has paid for children's surgery or cancer treatment. He's not that much of a jerk.

At least that's what he tells himself.

Going back to considering his brother, he considered what he was told. "Thanks. I'll talk to you later."

"Take care." and with that, Itachi hung up.

Sasuke went back to his laptop and began typing an email to Hinata.

* * *

Hinata strolled around her apartment late at night with Naruto's white T-shirt on and underwear, her hair tied up in a messy bun with tendrils of hair framing her face, eating a bowl of ice cream. She plopped onto her couch to binge on some Netflix when a notification popped up on her phone. She set the bowl down and opened to see an email of high importance. She paused the movie she was watching and opened it to see that it was Sasuke.

 _Dear Dr. Hyuuga,_

 _I was hoping to schedule a meeting with you regarding setting up a scholarship foundation in your name to any college students needing financial assistance in your department. Don't hesitate to call my personal number or emailing me back. Thank you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Sasuke Uchiha_

Hinata's eyes widened. This was huge. Not only for her but for the university as well.

Just then, the door opened to her apartment and she noticed it was Naruto.

"Hey Hinata! Sorry I'm home late, a student wanted some more help." He dropped his backpack on the floor and walked towards her.

Hinata pecked a kiss on his lips before beaming at him. "First I have a surprise for you." She got up from the couch and pulled out his poster of the Konoha FC club. "I knew you had almost everyone's signature but I got Sasuke's today." She presented him with the poster in a "tada!" fashion.

Naruto's eyes lit up so brightly. His mouth was agape in shock. "Oh my God, Hinata! That's incredible! You're the best!" He admired his poster with completed the autographs before setting it down and grabbing her. He spun her around and dipped her for a deep kiss. "Thanks a bunch!"

Hinata giggled, "What's even more crazy is that I got an email from him about setting up a meeting for setting up a scholarship under my name. Isn't that crazy?!"

Naruto gawked at her. "Really? Oh- wow...that's like- awesome!" He stuttered a bit as he watched her face brighten and saw the excitement sparkle in her eyes.

"I'm so excited! I'm actually about to email him." Hinata was walking back to her laptop before she was grabbed from behind and peppered with kisses.

"Go get him tiger!" Naruto whispered into her ear before slapping her butt and plopping himself on the couch.

Hinata giggled and nodded. _I must seize opportunities._


End file.
